Who said smartphone apps were only entertaining when it comes to the hottest games like Temple Run or Snapchat? While these are obviously very popular applications that are free and could be downloaded with the touch of a button, there are definitely other ways in which students are finding ways to be constructive with their free time through the use of their cell phones. Of course it might be an easier solution when feeling lazy to battle against your friends in Candy Crush, but the news is that there are cheap or free apps out there that can increase your productivity level and overall improve your health.
One of these apps that could very well give you the biggest bang for your buck is probably a workout craze you’ve heard about called P90X. One of the workouts of the Beachbody fitness program, which also promotes other workout plans such as Insanity, seems to help you to achieve the whole package for a mere price of about $5. The P90X app helps manage and follow your workout agendas, sets, reps, and even nutrition. You get the fit test and ab workout included for $5, and each additional workout is $7. (http://www.infoworld.com)
If sweating through a tough cardio session isn’t your thing, maybe a free yoga app is the right choice for you. Yoga has proved to have a variety of health benefits due to its ability to combine a tough workout with meditation to reduce stress. Pret-a-Yoga Lite can be useful for yoga beginners who might feel vulnerable when faced with the gym, or good for those more advanced in yoga that could take their training with them everywhere they go. This app incorporates a personal yoga instructor to lead you through breathing exercises and poses with both images and spoken training. (http://www.h3daily.com)
For those looking to cut their smoking habits for good, LiveStrong’s MyQuit Coach app helps you to achieve that goal for good. It helps you create a personal plan and gives you the option of quitting immediately or by gradually reducing your nicotine ingestion. Encouraging photos, tips and progress logs along with gaining a social support group by connecting you to your Facebook and Twitter friends are all aids to potential quitters through MyQuit Coach. (http://www.livestrong.com)
Another app that’s already established its popularity is MyFitnessPal, which allows you to do multiple tasks, aside from just tracking calories. You can connect with others to motivate you with your diet or fitness plan, and even look up entries of food to log how many calories you are consuming.
Sophomore Brittany Schroeder said, “I like MyFitnessPal because you could scan the barcodes and it could tell you the amount of calories. It helps me maintain a healthy diet and not overeat.”
The app constantly gives you progress updates on your goals and also incorporates a barcode scanner for quick and accurate nutritional facts. The handiest aspect of MyFitnessPal may be that all of these benefits are given to you for free. (http://www.infoworld.com)
Brian Hund, a freshman, uses another free app that can be compared to MyFitnessPal.
“I use one app called Calorie Counter. It allows you to put in your desired weight and you can see how many calories you have to eat daily. All you have to do is type in the brand name of the food and the serving size and it’ll tell you how many calories you ate and how many more you need to eat daily,” said Hund.
“I use two health apps, one called Fooducate and the other is Health Tips. They keep me motivated and I learn a little more each day, but you only get out of it what you put into it,” said junior Tina Iraggi.
There you have it, folks. Downloading these apps is the first step, but committing to them is willpower!
